A Third Class Prison
by gaelicchick
Summary: The second chapter in the East Meets West series, a street fight lands the girls in a dangerous factory...


A Third Class Prison by: Amy 

"Hey street trash, 'who's da skoits? Bet dey's a foin way ta spenda even'!" 

The whole group of newsies stopped and turned to see whose voice was coming out of the ally. They were coming back to the Lodging House after a night at Tibby's, and among them was a group of fairly recent additions to the Lodging House; a pack of six immigrant newsgoils that had joined the Manhattan Lodging House after the destruction of their old distribution center had left the orphans homeless. They were the "skirts" that the mysterious voice had been commenting on, and several of them were getting very angry. 

Jack moved toward the ally, "Did you'se say somfin" His fists were tightened as he peered into the darkness to make out the offender's face. Following close behind was one of the girls, Maggie O'Rourke, along with Gloria, the two girls with the hottest tempers in the house. "Emma", Maggie said very calmly, her voice straining to remain so, "I tink ya had better take Annie back de other way and around ta get back 'ome." 

Emma, a tall pretty blond girl, took the arm of Annie, a small, skinny, nine year old with golden curls, and pulled her down the street in the opposite direction of the ally at a very fast walk. 

At this point the Delancy brothers revealed themselves by stepping out of the ally. "Youse got some new coimpany Jack. 'Ow cums youse hazn't intradoozed us yet?" 

Jack looked at Oscar with utter contempt, "Cuz maybe deys good enough not ta want ta keep wit da loikes a you." Morris strode up next to his brother, face to face with Jack. "Now, dems fightin woids if evuh I hoid 'em. Youse lookin for a foit heah cowboy?" 

By now Jack was flanked by not only the two girls, but also Racetrack, Kid Blink, Mush, and Sammy, a tall brunette with a killer right cross. He looked around him then back at the Delancy's. "In case you 'hadn't noticed, youse is de ones who seem ta be outnumboid. Is you shoir youse is up ta it?" 

Both men laughed. "You nevah loin do ya cowboy. We'se always gots a little "help." With this he gestured behind him and five others sauntered out of the ally. A little alarm bell went off in Jack's head, but he ignored it. 

There was no warning before Oscar threw the first punch, but Jack was ready for it. He blocked it and knocked the big man squarely in the jaw. After that all hell broke lose. Everyone was involved. Even quiet Katrina "Katsy" was induced to participate after one of the flunkies grabbed her about the waist and started to pick her up. She pinched him with all her might, then wiggled free enough to knee him in the groin before he could stop her. She was busing herself kicking him the stomach and shouting curses in her native tongue when Maggie looked over. She had just finished a sort of boxing match with the smaller of the goons. He was bigger than her but she was faster, and although she was bleeding out of a cut on her face, she had dealt more than she had taken. She smiled in spite of herself as she saw Gloria and Lacey catch Morris after Mush's punch sent him flying, only to knee him in the groin and curse and spit on him. 

The rucus was so loud that no one heard the bulls. Indeed, by the time they took enough notice to run, it was too late. The police were coming up both sides of the street and the alleyways led to dead ends. Kats looked relieved, not realizing that the cops would undoubtedly lay the blame on the kids. The highly visible batons and a wink from Race and Jack induced the frightened girls to cooperate. They were put into a wagon and hauled into jail for the night. 

"Don't worry about it, dey got nofin ta charge us wit. Everybody knows who Osacah and Morris are and wot deys up to. Most we can get is a fine, 'an Denton'll cover dat till we pay 'em back." Racetrack had seen the worried looks on the girls faces. 

"And if dey do put us in da refuge, we gots da newsies ta bust us out. Don't worry, this happens all da toim." That was Jack's helpful advice. But Maggie worried all the same. She was glad Annie wasn't there. ----------------------------------- "Order, Order, Order in the court!" The bang of the judge's gavel woke Maggie back to full consciousness. She had spent an uncomfortable night in a holding cell with the rest of the newsies, and was not feeling well at all. She looked out at the faces in the room, she saw Denton waiting anxiously, Emma and Annie were by the door, David and Less stood next to them. Maggie tried to calm herself down. "You heard Race, this happens all the time, you'll be fine." She looked around, the guys were calm and a bit impatient to be out, but Maggie could see her friends Gloria, Kats, even Lacey, were all on edge. 

The proceedings, however, went just as Race had said they would. They were required to pay a fine of 3 dollars each, which Denton having been promoted at his paper, paid. They were waiting for the judge to close the hearing and let them go, when the judge was handed a piece of paper. He read it with a solemn face and immediately stared at Lacey. "I am not finished!" The newsies and most of the onlookers jumped. The judge settled himself down. 'The following people shall remain for further questioning: Teresa Felicchi, MargretO'Rourke, Gloria Lacayo, and Katrina Stak-Schtank-" 

"Stankovich." Maggie finished for him. The judge just banged his gavel to quiet the ripple of laughter that ensued, and glared at Maggie. The hairs on the back on Maggie's head were standing up, something was not right here. 

"The four mentioned shall remain, the rest of you are free to go." The boys filed out of the box, but most of them stayed behind to see what was going on. Jack went over to David and Denton, but both looked confused. 

The judge began. "It has become routine procedure within this department to scan the records of juvenile offenders for previous criminal history. Upon this, we discovered that many of you were involved in a riot last year during the infamous newsboy protest." At this some boys began to hoot and clap, but several bangs of the gavel silenced them. 

He went on, "This was not what interested me. It is well know that newsboys are a disrespectful rowdy lot, and therefore such behavior is not unusual among members of the lower class." 

This was met with a few shouts and protests, but the judge went on. "What interested me about these four children is that they had no criminal history. In fact, they had no official records whatsoever. No birth certificates, no naturalization cards, no Ellis Island papers, nothing. Now, as you know, our shores are being assaulted every year by the gutter trash of every nation in Eastern and western Europe. And since these children have no documentation to provide proof of either birth in this country or legal immigration and naturalization, I can come to no other conclusion but that they must have, willingly or not, immigrated here illegally." 

At this the girls began shouting at the judge, except for Kats who had not been able to follow everything and was, near tears, pulling on Maggie's sleeve begging for an explanation. The judge turned to the girls. "Well well, perhaps I am mistaken. Can any of you produce any form of documentation proving that your are a legitimate citizen of the United States, or at least hold a green card?" 

Maggie spoke up. "Yer honor. We were all orphaned on way or another at a young age. We were taken, along with all of our documentation to da Little Sisters of da Poor Orphanage. Unfortunately, sir, dat institution burned ta da ground four years ago. All of our papers were lost in da fire." 

The judge looked at them, and for one moment Maggie actually thought that they had been believed. But he raised his eyebrows and with a condescending look, launched into his next speech. "Well, I have to say that is one of the most original and convenient stories I have heard yet. But, I'm afraid that it won't help you. If you had really been at the orphanage, you would have been given some documentation upon admission to the Refuge. As you have none, nor have we found any in our records, I remain firm in my decision that you are in this country illegally, and will have to be dealt with accordingly. Of course, I am aware that since many of you were probably snuck in at a young age, this crime was not totally your fault, but we must set an example mustn't we?" 

"Now," He gestured to the piece of paper in his hand, "I have been made a fine offer by a generous citizen of New York. He has drawn to my attention that at this point in winter, the Refuge is near maximum occupancy. It is filled with legitimate American children, and we wouldn't want to displace any of them. Therefore, Mr. Steven Blackpool has generously offered his mill as a place where you four may work to pay back the city of New York for all you have taken from it. If, after, say, six months time, if you have proven yourselves diligent, capable workers; able to benefit American society through your work, you will be allowed to remain in this country with green cards. However, if you do not work, or cause disturbances, you will, and I can promise you it will happen most swiftly, you will be deported back to your respective countries of origin on the next available boat." With that the judge hammered his gavel and the guards began pulling the girls towards the door. 

Maggie's eyes were wild. She knew exactly what happened in the mills, she cried after the judge. "Ye can't do this! It's murder! People go in der and dey don't come out! Please, sir, anythin, anytin yer signing our death certificates I swear ta God!" 

The newsies were shouting as were the rest of the girls. Maggie was struggling so much with the guard that two had to take her up by the arms so her feet couldn't touch the floor; and they carried her, swinging and raving out of the court. Outside a wagon was waiting to take the girls away. Maggie was still screaming, the newsies were pressing in to stop the guards but police held them back. 

Maggie was finally able to swing her feet around and clip one of the guards in the leg. When he dropped her arm she made to swing at the other, but he had foreseen the action. The large guard pulled his baton from his pocket just as Maggie whirled around. *CRACK!* The heavy stick came down hard on Maggie's temple. Maggie's body crumpled to the ground. 

Lacey, who was being loaded into the wagon after Kats and Gloria, screamed. Her guard just gave her a hard shove that sent her to her knees on the floor of the wagon. 

The newsies surged again against the police, but they could not break through. David looked next to him at Annie, who was hysterically crying. Emma was sobbing as well, and she held the little girl to her chest so she would not have to see what was going on. He had held back, knowing that trying to break through was futile, but when he saw Maggie go down, a scream ripped out of him and he broke through to the front of the mob. He saw her lying, dazed, on the ground. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, and he thought she might have seen him, but by then the guards lifted her up and tossed her into the truck. Lacey, who had still not risen from her knees, held Maggie's head in her lap. Her tear streaked face was the last thing the boys saw before the door was slammed shut and the wagon disappeared along the busy street. -------------------------- When Maggie woke up her head felt like it had been split in two, and she ached all over "If dis is a 'hangover," she groaned, "remind me never ta drink again." 

"Oh, I don't think you got all this from drinkin sweetie." 

When Maggie's eyes focused she realized she wasn't in her bunk in the Lodging House, and she wasn't passed out in a corner of O'Connor's; where was she? Then the memories came flooding back: the fight, the jail, the judge, being hit on the head, David, Gloria, Kats, Lacey, everyone screaming. She tried to sit up, but as the world spun and her stomach turned she realized that wasn't a good idea. 

"Easy now. You'll be up in plenty of time, just give yourself a couple of minutes to recover." 

Maggie looked toward the voice. As her vision cleared she saw that she was in a dormitory, about ten single beds lined each wall, no bunks. She was lying on the bed second from the end, and next to her was a tall girl of about seventeen, with long strawberry blond hair. Maggie shook her head to clear her thoughts, then cursed when she realized, that also, was not a good thing. The girl laughed. 

"Now I see why they had to work you over a bit. Not that they should have mind you, but- well never mind. My name's Jennifer. Jennifer Anderson. Everyone calls me Jenny." 

Maggie very very slowly eased into a sitting position, and with her left hand on her head, she extended her right hand. "Margaret O'Rourke. Maggie, delighted, really." 

Jenny shook her hand. "You're a terrible liar, but its nice to know you have a sense of humor. Welcome to Addy's." 

Maggie looked puzzled, Addys? "Where am I exactly." 

"Exactly? You're on the second floor of Miss Addy's Boarding House for Ladies. Or at least, it used to be. Now the place is like jail. You have to be in here by seven every night or your fired. 'Course, girls who are in forced labor, and that's about half of the ones in this house, they have to come straight home after we get off work, which is at 6:30. So it's not like they give us a lot of free time." 

Maggie nodded, then cursed, and gave Jenny a weak smile. "I really need ta start listenin' ta people. Where are we in New York?" 

"We are pretty much smack in the middle of Brooklyn if you want to know the borough. I haven't been outside the neighborhood long enough to know exactly where we are, but I know that we are in Canarsie, if that helps any." 

Maggie groaned, "I take it, den, dat we are no where near Manhattan?" Jenny laughed, "Not unless you are up for a long long walk." Maggie sighed, "Dat's what I figured. Did dey, by any chance, bring in any other girls with me?" 

A wrinkle appeared in Jenny's forehead as she thought. "Come to think of it there were three other girls in the wagon, but they probably put them in different houses." 

"Different houses?" 

Jenny nodded then pointed out the window. "This whole street is Boarding House Row. See, these places are pretty old, this dormitory takes up the whole second floor of the house, and Miss Addy lives on the third floor, and she rents the fourth out. Its the same all down the street. There are boarding houses all the way down. The next three on our left all take girls for the Blackpool Mill. Way I figure, there's probably one of your friends in each, they like to split up the "trouble makers", you know keep you from 'conspiring' together." 

Maggie thought of Kats all by herself in a house, she often got nervous and forgot a lot of the words when she was around strangers, what was she going to do? 

"Hey, relax." Jenny could see the worry on Maggie's face. "We all know what its like, everyone is gonna help them out. We figure we're all prisoners together, by force or by need, we all have to go to that godforsaken place everyday, the least we can do is lend a hand." As she said this she pointed out the single window which face the street, down the left, where a tall building loomed in the distance. "That would be your local deathtrap, catering especially to immigrants, orphans, runaways and anyone else the bulls don't like." The bitterness in Jenny's voice was audible. 

"Well," said Maggie, "Sounds right up my alley." ---------------------------------------------- 

"So where'de they take 'em Jack?" "Where are dey?" "Is dey still in Manhattan?" "Did anybody see which way da carriage went?" 

"Quiet! Geez, lemme think will yas?" Jack sat on his bunk, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. They had looked all day for the girls, but no one had seen them. It was as if they had disappeared. He looked across the room at David. Both he and Les had refused to go home and had been looking all day as well. Jack had never seen his friend so angry. 

David had never felt so helpless in his entire life. It didn't help that Denton kept saying there was nothing he could have done. There must have been something. And then that look... that look of utter defeat and resignation he had seen in Maggie's eyes before they threw her in the wagon. It was the last thing he had ever wanted to see on her face. Maggie was always proud, feisty, angry; she was a fighter. She never gave in. That look was in his mind whenever he closed his eyes. 

He was jerked out of his thoughts by the sound of sobbing coming from upstairs. Annie, he thought with a pang. Those girls had been the only parents she had ever known. Emma was a strong girl, and she was careful not to break down in front of Annie, but both of them had lost their entire family and neither was doing well. 

He heard the door open. As if it was possible for the room to get more quiet, now it was absolutely silent. Emma stood in the doorway. Her eyes were red rimmed and although they were dry, there were wet patches on her blouse were someone had been having a good cry. "Les?", Her voice was soft and a bit hoarse. "Could you try and coax her down here to play? She needs something to take her mind off of this, and everywhere she looks up there she sees-" She stopped. She sees Maggie, and Lacey, and Gloria and Kats was what she meant to say, but she couldn't finish. "Would you try please?" Les nodded, and walked slowly upstairs. 

Emma, sagged against the doorframe, and slowly let her back slide down it until she was sitting on the floor. Sammy got up from where she had been sitting on a Blink's bunk, went over to her, and put her arm around her. Emma just leaned her head against her shoulder, too exhausted even to cry. 

Soft footsteps signaled the return of Les, Annie followed him. They silently sat down in the middle of the floor. Race joined them and dealt the cards out. Mush, Blink and Crutchy came over to play. They played in silence till Annie fell asleep in Race's lap and Les started drooling on Mush's shoulder. ----------------------------------------- 

Work in the mill started at seven o'clock sharp. Maggie's head still ached, and she rubbed it as she pulled on her clothes and made her way to the washroom. "I'd give me right arm fer a good pint o Guinness." 

A red haired girl elbowed her in the ribs as she moved in next to her at the sink. "We all would. Blackpool girls aren't allowed ta drink alcohol. Even anyone seeing you do it is grounds fer dismissal. That's why not too many of us Irish make it here." Both girls laughed, Maggie stuck out her hand. "Maggie O'Rourke." The girl shook her hand, still sudsy, "Colleen Flanagen, please ta meet'cha. Sounds like you came right off the isle herself. Where were ya from?" 

Maggie dried her face and she and the girl walk together toward the stairs. "All over really. After da famine my family moved around a lot. But I was barn in county Clare, Doolin ta be more specific. My mother's got family on the isles an we grew up around der." 

"The Aran Islands? My aunt used to talk about them. Is it true they don't speak a word of English?" Maggie laughed. "Some of 'em don't. Me grandmother didn't, but me grandfather did. Oh how she used ta glare at him whenever he dared not ta speak in Gaelic! I still tink he did it just ta vex her. She was absolutely livid when she herd we were leavin'." 

"We're things really that bad.?" Maggie shrugged, "I was little more den five when we left. But jobs were scarce an farmin' poor. Me father was a fisherman, and a fine one at dat. But the competition from de big company boats was makin it hard on de isles. We didn't go far. He 'had cousins in Galaway and we were doin' fine der. Until...." Maggie broke off as a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. 

"Yeah, this is the one. OW! Cut that out. Brutus!" A very large man with massive arms came over. "What is it?" The man holding Maggie thrust her toward Brutus. "Little scrap is giving me trouble. From the look of her face I'd say she's the one the had to knock out just to get in the truck." 

Brutus looked Maggie up and down in a cold an calculated manner that she did not at all like. "I'll take her Bill. You take the little idiot over there. Don't speak a word of English and timid as a mouse. I'm sure you can handle her." He gestured over to where he had left Katsy, who was too frightened to move. Maggie tried to make contact, but Brutus grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off. 

"You and I," he said into her ear so closely she could feel his stinking breath on her face, "are going to become good friends. From now on you don't leave the factory or the boarding house until I come for you, understand. You wait. If you don't," he snapped his fingers, "it's back home for you. And I don't mean Manhattan, I mean a very long and crowded boat trip. So keep moving." With that he gave her a shove and took off at a pace Maggie's feet could barely keep up with. Far down at the end of the street was the mill, and her guard didn't leave her side until her thrust her into the sweaty arms of the mill foreman. "Here's the last one, Brice. She's the troublemaker so keep a good watch." With that he turned around and walked off down the street whistling. 

The foreman said not a word to her, but shoved her through the cloakroom ,barely leaving time to drop her wrap off, and into the main room. It was a huge vast place, with dirty windows that stretch from floor to ceiling. It was divided in half. The in the front half there were about a two hundred looms, and all ready girls were tending to 'em. The building was divided in the middle, and in the next large room was filled with spinning machines, about a little higher than the top of the foreman's head. Little children of about eight to eleven tended these, carefully sticking their tiny fingers into the machines to tie knots. Maggie got a knot in her stomach just looking at the place. She knew exactly what happened here. She didn't have time to contemplate too long before the foreman shoved her in front of a loom near the back of that half of the room. He gestured to the four around her. "These for are yours, get to it!" Maggie was about to open her mouth and ask just what the hell he intended her to do, when she felt a hand on her arm. It was Jenny. 

"He won't tell you, he enjoys watching girls struggle, here it's not that complicated." And Jenny quickly showed her how to run the shuttle an constantly move the dash back and forth with her arm, how to thread the shuttle by putting your mouth on it and sucking the end of the thread through. "Kiss a death is what we call it. Careful you wipe it as best you can, this is how girls get sick here." Maggie nodded, and after Jenny watched her to make sure everything was done right, she went back to her looms, which were right next to Maggie's. Maggie sighed and place one arm on the dashes of the looms on either side of her and kept pushing them back and forth tightening the strings. This was going to be a long day. --------------------------------------- Lacey wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve and slumped against her machine, with one arm still pumping the dash. Always moving that cursed dash, she swore under her breath. She could see Gloria working across the room. The foreman had placed them as far as possible from each other. She and Gloria were in the front of the looms, her on the right and Gloria on the left. Kats was placed right in the middle. 

Lacey had to hand it to her, playing the dumb foreigner was a smart move, she heard about it from a girl in Kats's boarding house. She had played dumb with the guards and as a result, they didn't bother keeping her as far apart from her friends; she as within shouting range of Maggie and Gloria. Kats' English was broken, that was for sure, but she had been the pupil of years of teaching from both the nuns and the girls, and she did fine. 

Lacey smiled as she spied Maggie. It was impossible to hear her over the drone of the machines, but it was obvious she was cursing up a storm when her loom stopped for some reason. She watched her bend over and tinker with something, then finally kick the machine. It must have started because Maggie gave a satisfied look and went to tend to the other three. Lacey missed Maggie, she hardly ever got a chance to speak with her. The lunch breaks were rotated so not everyone ate at once, that way there were always looms going. There were three shifts, so it was rare that any of them got together. I t was impossible to talk in the factory, and they never got to speak on the way home thanks to their watchful guards. Speaking of which, Lacey spied the foreman staring at her and went back to her work. ---------------------------------------- "Gretel! Gretel could ya come 'ere fer a moment?" Maggie was sitting in the stone "courtyard" outside the back of the factory. There were benches on the stone pavement where the girls were eating their lunch. 

A tiny little girl with black curls tied back in a red bow bounced up to her. Gretel was a "tier", she worked on the machines in the back of the factory, climbing on them and using her tiny fingers to tie broken threads together and pull out clumps that were knotting up the machine. As a part of the rotation meant to keep the girls apart and prevent them from organizing, their duties changed by the week. One week might be at the looms, and then for the next two weeks they might be in the machines, lifting bobbins and loading new ones. Maggie hated it. Her arms were already sore from constantly running the dash, but the bobbins were huge, the size of hat boxes, and getting to them meant climbing around on the machines. This was Maggie's third week at the mill, and her sixth day in the spinning room. Gretel had been phenomenally helpful in getting her acquainted and warning her about keeping her hair tied back, tucked in, and out of the machines. 

"Yeah?" Gretel had a roll in her hand and she was anxiously biting off hunks of it. Gretel, " Maggie began, "do any newsies ever come around here? I haven't seen any since I've come." Gretel shook her head. "There's nobody ta buy. All of the houses lodge factory workers, and most of them can't read. Plus the get hassled by the foreman and the guards, so they sorta stopped comin. Why?" Maggie smiled, "why" was always tagged onto the end of whatever Gretel said. She had an infinite curiosity. 

"Well, ta tell the truth, I was hopin a find some way ta tell my friends were I am. Dey don't know, ya see." Gretel nodded soberly. "The only times I'se ever seen 'em around here is-" Gretel was cut off by the loud clanging of the bell. She quickly shoved the rest of it in her mouth and dashed inside. Maggie followed hard on her heels. Girls had been beaten for coming in late, and both Maggie and Gretel had the bruises to prove it. ------------------------------ There was a commotion when they got in the cloak room. The guards had one of the girls Gretel's age, about seven or eight, by the arm. he was shaking her so hard Maggie wondered that her hadn't pulled it out of it's socket completely. The girls were filing past in a hurry, everyone knew what happened when you got involved, and no one wanted another reminder about "keeping her place." 

'What did ye think ye were doin ye little scamp? Tryin ta cheat me were you? We pay you ta work here, not sleep, just what were ye tryin to pull?" 

"I'm sorry, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep really I was just t-t-t-tired!" The little girl burst into tears and tried to pull away. "That's Cora, " Gretel whispered. "She's in the bed next ta mine." 

"Oh no you don't brat!" The foreman raised his fist and prepared to strike the girl, "There's a penalty for what you done and by god your gonna-" 

"Let her go!" Maggie silently cursed herself as she leaped towards the foreman and pulled Cora from his grasp. The little girl's eyes grew wide, and then Gretel grabbed her hand and they escaped into the mob heading into the workroom. Maggie made to escape when she felt a large hand grip her arm. "Yer gonna pay fer dat ye little piece a trash." Before Maggie knew it there was another set of arms that whipped her around and slammed her into the wall. Maggie spit out the dirt as she tried to clear her head, but she barely had time to get her bearing before the foreman started lashing her with his cane, which had a metal tip; his weapon of choice. Maggie bit her lip and refused to make a sound. Fortunately after about eight he grew tired and shoved her off toward the workroom with a grunt. 

Maggie limped into the room, her head still dizzy and her back screaming, and without looking where she was going, walked straight into Gloria. 

"Maggie!" The girl swept her into a hug, which caused Maggie to scream. 

"Careful what are ye try'n ta do, kill me?" At Gloria's confused look she shook her head, then gently hugged her friend. 'I'll tell ya about it some other time, but it's good ta hear yer voice again." She stepped back to examine her friend. Gloria looked thin, but they all did. Although her face was dusty and dirty, the shiner on her left eye did not escape Maggie's notice. "What's dis?" Gloria shoved her hand away. "I'll tell you about it some other time, but its good ta hear your voice again." At Maggie's exasperated look she sighed, "Lets just say that my daily escort is a little less than charming. Watch it! The foreman's back, you'd better go." With that she gave Maggie a quick kiss on the cheek and shoved her gently towards the back. 

Gretel and Jenny were already on the machines working when Maggie climbed up on the frame to replace a bobbin. Jenny, had apparently heard everything that happened. She leaned over to Maggie, "I don't know whether you are incredibly brave or just plain stupid. We've all had to take hits for the littles before, but no one has ever taken on a full caning." 

Maggie managed a grin, her back still hurt like hell. "Its dis thick Irish skull I've got. Don't leave much room fer common sense." The girls chuckled and went back to work, but all day Maggie noticed approving smiles coming from kids in the factory she didn't even know. I just hope dis doesn't become a habit a mine, I don't think me back can take it. -------------------------------- Maggie's beating seemed to have the opposite effect of he one intended by the foreman and his guards. More of the older kids were starting to stand up to the goons, especially when they picked on the younger kids. Unfortunately, this meant less sympathy for their backs, and their arms and heads ribs. But there was a lessening of fear among the workers, a sense of camaraderie, and what Mr. Blackpool had worked so hard to avoid was starting to happen. Kids were talking about organizing. 

It started small, Maggie asked Gretel to introduce her to the 16 "tiers"; all children from ages seven to eleven. Most of them, like Gretel, came from poor families that needed the extra money putting the kids to work brought in. There were five boys among this group, the only male workers in the factory, and they were all orphans, sent over from the Refuge. Maggie wrote down all the kids' names, and each of the girls working in the spinning room on a certain day was assigned a child to watch, and to protect from the guards. Since everyone went into the spinning room at some point, they had, after about a week and half, a census of the name of every girl in the factory and her boarding house. It was a start. But soon something happened that catapulted the girls plans into full gear. ------------------------------------- It was a long day. Mr. Blackpool had started work at six in the morning and was running the machines till eight in an attempt to demoralize what he considered to be an unhealthy situation among the girls. It was four in the afternoon, and the girls were getting tired. 

Maggie was working in the spinning room again. On the other end of her machine she could barely make out the figure of Kats through the fuzz and dust in the air. She saw Cora next to her, her eyes straining to make out the strings she needed to tie. She could hear girls coughing all over the mill, especially Jenny's cough. The lively girl was coming down with something, and although Maggie couldn't see her, she could hear her on another machine down the line. She couldn't see Gretel anywhere. 

"Maggie? I'm tired." Cora's eyes looked up at Maggie pleading with her to tell her that it was almost eight. 

"It's just after four Cora. A few more hours an we can go home." 

The little girl's sigh almost broke Maggie's heart. Suddenly, she hit upon an idea and smiled. "You jest sit down against the wall over der, an I'll wake you when I see the foreman comin all right? Get a little rest." Cora's eyes lit up. She dropped off the machine and sagged against the wall, she was asleep before her head hit her chest. 

Maggie was thinking that she could use a little rest like that and looked around to see if someone could keep a watch when the shrill scream of a child pierced through the hum of the machines. The room erupted in shouts. --------------------------------------------- Maggie leaped from her machine and ran down the line till she came to the room where a crowd had gathered. The shouts were deafening. "Shut it off!" The crowd turned. Maggie couldn't see what had happened, but the machine was making to much noise. she turned to the first girl she saw, "Shut off the bloody machine now!" The girl was too frightened to argue and ran to obey. That was when Maggie pushed through, and saw a sight that made her want to throw up right there. 

Jenny knelt on the floor in a puddle of blood, sobbing. In her lap was a little head of curly black hair. Gretel. 

"Jenny?", Maggie's voice was shaking as she fought hysteria. "Jenny, what..." The tall girl raised her face. "It was her hair. She was reaching too far too try and grab a knot and when she tilted her head the machine.... I think she broke her neck when..." Jenny collapsed. At that moment the hum of the machine died and the girls where left with nothing but the sound of muffled sobbing. 

Maggie knelt down and took Gretel's head in her lap. Jenny was right, the fall off the machine with her head being pulled at such a way must have broken the small girl's neck. "Gretel...Gretel, please lass, please don't..."She couldn't control herself any longer and broke down into sobs. 

The girls' mourning was interrupted by the arrival of the foreman. "What in the hell is goin on here? Why have the machines stopped? I gave no such order!" He parted the crowd to see what was goin on. Maggie looked up at him, her grief replaced by pure anger. 

"You killed her. You killed her you heartless bastard." She spoke in a voice unnaturally soft, especially in a room where normally it was a necessity to shout to be heard. 

The foreman just stare at her. "Clean this up. The truck'll be here in an hour." With that he turned on his heel and left without a second glance. 

Maggie looked around, "What his he talking about?" A small, strong girl from Queens, Nelly, spoke up. "Its da only way deys can keep da bulls from gettin suspicious. Ya know, funeral carts pullin up every couple a months kinda tips 'em off. Blackpool bought dis truck dat says 'Stuart's Laundry,' cept dere ain't no Stuart's Laundry. Dey put da coffins in dere and take em over to a potter's field somewhere's. Dats how dey keep all dis a secret." 

Maggie's face darkened in anger. She looked down at the bundle in her lap. "Get some water and cloth, we're goin ta give dis girl da best burial we can." 

Within the next hour, the girls Moved Gretel onto a blanket in the back, away from the puddle which was mopped up, but marked off so the girls knew where it was. In fact, everyone avoided that whole row of machines. they brought water to clean up the little girls face and hair, but her clothes still had blood on them, and no one knew what to do. Then Cora appeared. 

The child had disappeared shortly after the accident, and everyone assumed she was mourning privately for her close friend. But Cora had more practical purpose. She tapped Maggie on the shoulder, and when she turned, held out in her arms a clean dress and pinafore, nicer than any of the girls wore. 

"Cora dear, what's dis?" 

"The guards were all busy, so I had a little time to signal over Mary Larson, the vegetable woman. I asked her to run back to our boarding house and bring back some things. This was mine and I want Gretel to have it." With that she held out a pretty white dress with whit eyelet lace about the collar and red ribbon. "See, its got red ribbon, like Gretel used ta wear." Tears trickled down the cheeks of all the girls, and several turned away. Maggie pulled Cora to her in a fierce hug, hearing the little girl start to cry against her shoulder. When she had clamed herself, she held the girl out from her with a hand on each shoulder. 

"I am sure this would make Gretel very happy. You are a good friend Cora." the little girl nodded soberly. Kats lead her away as Maggie, Nelly, Lacey, Colleen, Gloria, and Jenny put the new dress on Gretel. Someone produced a red ribbon, and the girls put it in Gretel's curls. They had just finished when several men burst in, carrying with them a pine box. 

As the girls carefully lifted Gretel and put her in the box, Jenny abruptly grabbed a pair of scissors and left. She returned in a few moments with the coffin lid. Inscribed on it, above the stamped number, was the name "Gretel". "She ought to at least be buried under her own name." The girls nodded soberly. 

At this point the men started to push them away to carry out the box. Maggie shoved them back. "Get off me." She said in a slow and calculated manner. She nodded to the girls in the crowd, and picked up the head of the box. The girls surrounded the small coffin and lifted, it was pitifully light. Without saying a word, they bore their friend out into the fading sunlight and the truck. -------------------------------------- Spot Conlon had five papers left. He was in a hurry to sell them so he had time to get over to a poker game going on in Crown Heights. He was, therefore, highly agitated when a hand clamped down on his arm. "What do ya-" He broke of the curse as he saw the face of one of his newsies. He looked upset. "What's goin on Squints?" 

Squints sighed. "I probably shouldn't be boderin you, its just dat...dat.." 

"Come on spit it out!" 

"All right. A Stuart Laundry wagon just drove by." 

Spot's face went unreadable. "Which way was it headed, da docks?" 

Squints shook his head. This would be no aging Blackpool steel worker. "Looked like it was headed towards Boardin 'House Row." Spot cursed under his breath, the mill was on Boarding House Row and that meant that whomever had died was probably a kid. 

"Dat ain't far from here, come on, da least we can do is pay our respects." 

Although the police didn't catch on, most of the working class of Brooklyn knew what the Stuart Laundry truck meant. It was customary to at least stop business till the truck left the neighborhood. Sure enough, as the boys made there way towards the mill, they saw store owners standing outside locked shops, hats off in respect for the dead. Looking for answers, Spot stopped next to a group of his own newsies, rather young ones, clusterd on the street outside the gates where the wagon had pulled in. 

"So who was it?" One of the little boys picked up his head in awe at being addressed by the mighty Spot Conlon. "I-I-We don't know. But it was a real small box dey took in." 

Further conversation stopped as the street went silent. The doors opened and the strangest sight Spot had ever seen came out. Normally, two of Blackpool's big, burly goons carried the boxes, but today the coffin was borne out by a large group of girls. The goons followed, speechless, in their wake. They silently and gently slid the box onto the wagon, the last girl, a short dark haired thing, kissing the top of it before shutting the doors. It was puzzling. The girls were held back as the wagon drove out, but crowded the gates after they closed again, their hands wrapped around the bars, following the cart down the street till it was out of sight. 

"Come on, " Spot said to his newsies, "der ain't gonna be no more sellin here today." 

He thought he had said it quietly, but the dark haired girl had apparently heard him. She got very excited, "What did you say? Did you say you sell newspapers?" 

Alarmed, Spot quickly explained, "Listen Miss, my condolences really. We don't mean no disrespect, we'se leavin see. I'se very sorry-" 

"Wait! Wait please ya hafta do something. Come here. COME HERE!" 

The last command was so demanding that Spot could do little but obey. The girl reached through the bars and grabbed his arm, Spot tried to wrench it away. "Hey let me-" 

"Listen to me!" The girl looked over her shoulder. She was the only one left in the yard and some men by the factory door were staring at her. "Listen you, dis little interview is gonna cost me more den ye can imagine, so do as I say." She presses a folded piece of paper into his hand "Ye have ta get did ta Jack Kelly, in Manhattan. Jest leave it at da Lodgin House, but ye have ta make sure it gets der." Spot stared at her in disbelief. 

"Just do it!" She whispered harshly, then turned and walked back towards the door. Spot then understood what she had meant by 'paying for the interview' as the men moved forward and began to smack her around and kick her as she made her way inside. Then she vanished into the darkness of the factory, the doors were shut, and she vanished. -------------------------------- Maggie was dragged back into the factory by two of the guards, she fully expected to be beaten right there, but suddenly her captors stopped and let out a gasp. Maggie picked her head up. They had loaded the wagon out the back entrance, and standing on the other side of the room in a crisp three piece suit complete with gold watch chain was a tall gentleman Maggie had never seen. He had jet black hair with just a hint of silver around the ears, and the coldest gaze of anyone Maggie knew. 

"Mr. Ba-ba-Blackpool!" The foreman startled in surprise. He rushed up to newcomer, babbling apologies and welcomes and generally making a pest of himself. "To what do we owe this honor?" 

Mr. Blackpool gazed at the crowd of girls that had stopped near the door. He then turned to the foreman in disgust. "You owe it, you sniveling incompetent fool, to your failure. Your failure to keep today's little "incident" more discreet. Every shopkeeper in a five block radius is talking about it. If I didn't have my ways of keeping police attention directed elsewhere, I might have an investigation in here! I can't stand for incompetence, Brice, do you understand?" 

The foreman began to stammer, but Blackpool cut him off. "Why were these girls outside? That's what everyone was talking about. Their little funeral procession is the talk of the neighborhood. Why were they not strictly confined to the main floor?" 

The foreman's eyes went hard and he pointed a finger at Maggie, who was still held between the two guards. "It was 'er fault sir. I couldn't stop her. She 'ad 'em al organized and broke through sir. We didn't want to shout and make a commotion once it happened-" He was cut off again. Blackpool had been staring at Maggie. 

"Bring her here. Now!" The guards stumbled out of their shock and dragged Maggie over to him. Blackpool reached his hand under Maggie's chin and jerked it up so she stared at him. "What is your name. Speak up! What is it?" 

Maggie stared back at him coldly and replied with deadly calm. "O'Rourke." 

"You've caused me quite a bit of trouble today, do you know that Miss O'Rourke?" 

"You've caused me quite a bit of trouble as well, ye killed my friend." 

Blackpool slapped her quickly across the face. Maggie just turned back and gave him the same cold stare. Obviously discomforted, Blackpool turned to the foreman. "Where there any other trouble makers?" 

Relieved that the attention was no longer focused upon himself, the foreman glanced around, his eyes stopping on Jenny. He pointed an accusing finger. "That one. She's always been causin' trouble." 

"Bring her here." 

Jenny was pulled forward by one of Maggie's guards. "You're name?" 

The same defiant gaze. "Anderson." 

"Well, Miss O'Rourke, Miss Anderson, you've both cost me no little embarrassment and money today. People are talking, I will have to compensate the police for that, and the machines have been stopped for several hours. This is not at all as it should be. Therefore, everyone will remain in the factory tonight, no one will return the boarding houses. I expect he machines to be kept running. This way you will be able to repay me for the damage done today." 

Maggie and Jenny burst out at once. "Ye can't do that!" 

"If you keep the machines running that long they'll overheat!" 

"You'll blow us all ta bloody kingdom come!" 

"Silence! Both of you!" Blackpool turned to the foreman. "Brice, if you expect to keep your job after today's events, every word of my instructions must be carried out." He put on his gloves and started to leave, he paused at the door and turned. "I leave those two for you to discipline as you choose, but make sure this never happens again." He called back over his shoulder as he left, "May I suggest, The Kat." 

Maggie turned to Jenny, "What's da Kat?" ------------------- 

'The Kat', was a gruesome object kept on a shelf in the foreman's office, where Maggie and Jenny were taken. It consisted of a six inch wooden baton, which had about twenty thin leather thongs attached to it, at the end of these was a small lead pellet. It made a harsh whistling noise as it cut through the air. Maggie and Jenny were positioned six feet apart, their backs to each other. The foreman stood between them, The Kat in his hands. The girls' shirts had been stripped off and they knelt, Jenny in a camisole, and Maggie in one of the boys' sleeveless undershirts. As the Kat hit them, it ripped right through the fabric. Maggie inhaled sharply, but vowed not to cry, and she heard Jenny do the same. At the fourth lash she bit her lip, hard. She tried to focus on something else, but all she could think about was the fire on her back. 

It took the foreman twenty five lashes a piece to satisfy the rage he felt at being humiliated. He threw the girls their shirts and shoved them out of the office and back into the mill. 

"Bastard," Maggie gasped weakly. Jenny, her face blanched with pain, managed a weak smile. Neither had uttered a sound, the other girls had no reason to suspect anything other than a mild beating. They took a minute to compose themselves, and walked back into the room. -------------------------------- "All right pace yer bets places yer bets. How many in on dis hand?" Racetrack, a cigar sticking out of his mouth, gazed around the circle at Snoddy, Skittery, Jack, Blink, Sammy and Mush. The newsies nodded and placed their money in the pot, and Race dealt He was just picking up his cards when Spot entered the room. 

"Jackey-boy you got some explainin ta do! I don't care who youse is didlin around wid in Brooklyn, that ain't none a myse concoin. But since when do I 'av ta be yer messenger? De only reason I listened ta dis skoit was dat I got dis very unpleasant feelin she could back up what she was sayin, an den I'de have ta hit a goil. So what's dis all about?" 

Jack, who had risen at the tone of Spot's voice when he spoke, looked understandably confused. 

"Spot, what are you talkin about?" 

"Dis!," Spot handed him a folded piece of paper. "Some little slip of a skoit in Canarsie shoved it in my face and told me on penalty of death dat I had to deliver it to a Mr. Jack Kelly in Manhattan. Tough little thing wid a Irish accent and one hell of a tempah." 

Spot stopped rambling at the sight of the queer looks on the newsies faces, they looked like they'de been hit in the face with a board. Then at once the spell broke and they dove for the letter. Jack grabbed it first and turned away. 

He began to read it aloud. "Deah Jack. Foist of all, be aware dat I am writin dis four days aftah da fight, so tings may have changed from what I have to tell you. We are woikin in da Blackpool Mill in Canarsie Brooklyn. I won't lie ta you and tell you evertin's all right, beacause its not. I hate it, as you can well imagine. But dats not important and not why I'm writin' you. I wanted you to know where we are in case, I dont know, in case sometin' happens. I can't speak for Kats, Gloria, or Lacey since dey keep us apart, but dey look ta be doin all right. Yeah, we get worked over now and again, but in de end its no woise den what we get aftah facin' off wid da scabs and da bulls, so da bruises are da same. I gotta go now, give Annie and Emma a kiss for me. Love, Maggie. And dats de end of da letter." 

At this point someone had alerted Emma, and she shuffled into the room, rubbing her eyes. "What is it?" 

There was silence till Sammy spoke. "It's a letter from Maggie sweetie." Emma went from mostly asleep to fully awake in a heartbeat and quickly snatched the letter from Jack, moving t the window to read it. 

Jack turned back to Spot, "So how exactly did you get dis?" 

Spot shrugged, and took a seat on a bunk. "Its like I told you Jackey-boy. She saw dat I was a newsies and went beesoik. Called me ovah, shoved dis at me, and demanded dat I take it ta you. She seemed desperate, and judgin from de situation, I figured it was da least I could do." 

Racetrack gave him a puzzled look, "What situation?" 

Spot explained about the laundry truck and the death at the factory. The boys stared at each other, "So how did she look when you saw 'er?" Was Blink's question. 

Spot sighed, a little unsure of how much to tell them. "Ta tell da truth, a lot woise den she makes out ta be in de lettah. Now, all dose goils are too thin, dat wasn't unusual. But she had a lot a bruises, on her face an arms. An she 'ad new bruises formin ovah de old ones. Dat an aftah she talked ta me, a couple a goons started ta kinda woik her ovah in da yard, den dragged her back inside. I'm tellin ya cowboy, it ain't uncommon for goils ta go in der and not come out." ------------------------------------- Maggie was disoriented when she awoke. She wasn't in her bunk at the Lodging House, and she wasn't in her bed at the Boarding House, where was she? As she heard the rumble of the machines in the background, she realized, and the events of the past day flooded back into her memory. Gretel, she thought with a pang. She looked around to get her bearings. She was is the middle of the looms, her head resting against the frame, half a dozen girls sleeping around her. It was the middle of the night, and they had worked until they dropped. Apparently their guards had gotten tired as well, as Maggie didn't see any of them trying to keep the girls working. In fact, she strained her eyes through the darkness, she didn't see any of them at all. 

"Dirty rotten bastard just wait till I...." Colleen was talking in her sleep next to her, Maggie gently shook her awake. 

"Colleen, what happened to the brute squad?" The girl stared at her, dazed, then remembered what Maggie was talking about. 

"Bout an hour ago they got sick a watchin us. They locked and chained the door and left. Probably went out ta the bars, shouldn't be back too soon." 

Maggie nodded and let the girl drop back off to sleep. She unbuttoned her shirt and rolled up the cuffs, the machines were making it awfully hot in here.... She jerked her head up at the thought. Too hot. If those have been on since this morning... it was a nightmare waiting to happen. She looked toward the spinning room. The door was shut and she couldn't tell what was going on in there, but something wasn't right. 

As if reading her mind, Gloria and Lacey crept up to her. "Maggie, I hate ta be da bearer a bad news, but sometin' ain't right in der." At Lacey's words, all three girls got up and crept to the door. The handle was hot, and Maggie wrapped her hand in her skirt to touch it, they peered in. 

Hot smoke blasted into their eyes and sent them into a fit of coughing. Maggie shut the door with a bang. 

"Dose machines are overheatin', we gotta get outta here before sometin' serious 'appens." 

The girls nodded and went to find Jenny. -------------------------------------------------- They had two major problems. The first was how to wake up about two hundred people and get them out quickly without causing a panic, the second was how to get out. They solved the first by having Gloria, Lacey, Colleen, Nelly and Kats gently shake people awake and start moving them towards the door, just telling them that it was time to leave now, not mentioning the potential disaster in the spinning room. Maggie and Jenny set to work on the second problem. 

The main door was locked, chained and bolted from the other side, so any hope of using it was to no avail. But Jenny remembered something she had seen during the girls memorable fifteen minutes in the foreman's office. The door itself was easy to break through, and once inside they caught their break. The windows were blissfully bar free. Not particularly caring what Brice would think, they tossed his chair through the glass, carefully breaking off the shards on the bottom and laying cloth over them so not to cut themselves when they climbed out. Then they started moving people out, the little ones first. 

They had moved about half of the girls out when an explosion sounded through the wall in the spinning room. All of the girls woke out of their half-asleep dazes and charged out through the window. Jenny was just helping the last girl out when she saw Maggie elbow her way through the throng and back inside. 

"Maggie! What do you think you are doing? There's a fire in there!" 

She didn't here anything, but Maggie's arm reached through the window and pulled her back in. 

She entered a dark, smoke filled world, coughing and gagging. "Maggie! Are you out of your mind!" 

"Over here, and hurry will ya!" 

She found Maggie over near the bookshelf, down by the floor. "What is so important that your gonna get yourself killed.?" 

Maggie was busy pulling something off the shelf Something very heavy. Jenny helped her, and the two girls sagged under the weight of a heavy iron box. A safe. Maggie grinned, "Trust me darlin, dis is worth it." The sound of crackling coming from the mill room was all they needed to induce then to throw the safe through the window and follow suit. ------------------------------------------ "Read 'em and weep Race, royal flush. Now pay up." Spot sat, a cigar he had won in a previous game in his teeth, grinning from ear to ear at a very sour Racetrack. The boys had decided to let Spot spend he night and return with him to Brooklyn in the morning. 

"Well, dat cleans me. Whadda ya say we calls it a night eh?" The boys agreed and were about to turn in when a tapping came at the window. Someone was throwing rocks. 

"Spot! Hey Spot! You still in der? Spot!" 

They leaned out the window to see one of Spot's newsies, Squints to be more specific, standing in the street. 

"Squints? Whadda you doin here? What's da mattah?" 

"Der's a big rucus in Canarsie! People is goin nuts! Didn't tink you'd wanna miss it!" 

"So what's goin on?" 

"Its da Blackpool Mill! Its on fire! Dey tink it may spread down da street! Its chaos down der, peoples is goin nuts!" 

Spot rolled is eyes at the overexcited newsies. "Yeah you said dat. We'll be right down." 

He turned to the boys, "So is you'se comin or what?" 

They were out the door before Spot could get his boots tied. --------------------------------------------- It was utter chaos on Boarding House Row. Shopkeeper had comedown from there apartments over the stores to try and protect their homes with bucket brigades. Women in nightgowns and shawls clutched their children to them and stared at the blaze. Men shouted at each other but nothing was being done. 

And nothing could be done for the mill. By the time a neighbor had seen the flames coming out of the windows it was to late. Parts of the building had already collapsed and even if the ire was put out, the factory could not be salvaged. 

The boys arrived on the scene expecting to seen a couple hundred girls in the street. True, the other boarding houses had been evacuated, but the young women standing in bare feet clustered together were not the Blackpool girls. None of them. 

Spot stopped one of his newsies who was running by. "What's going on?" 

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. Da machines were on all night is all anyone can repoit. Da bulls are goin nuts, dey can't find any of da goils!" 

Jack grabbed him by the collar, "Whatta you mean dey can't foind any of da goils. Deys in der boidin houses right?" 

The boys eyes opened wide in alarm, but he shook his head. "Dats just it. Woid on da street is dat dose goils nevah went home tanite. Deys was locked in da factory an told ta woik till mornin." 

Mush stared up at the inferno, "You don't mean deys still in der, do ya?" ------------------------------------------------- The girls, were actually clustered near the river, under a bridge. Their biggest problem now was where to go where they wouldn't be found. Although it was highly unlikely that Blackpool knew any of their faces, he knew some of them. Nelly and Colleen both had homes, Nelly in Queens and Colleen in the Bronx. They each agreed to lead whichever girls came from there back to their neighborhoods safely. Colleen was also goin to take four of the little boys who had worked in the spinning room home with her. Her family had lost her twin brothers on the way over, and she knew her mother wouldn't mind. "Even if she did, der's plenty a families who have lost children who would take 'em in." The fifth boy had already formed a serious attachment to Cora, who was his surrogate sister, and she declared that she was taking him home with her to Brooklyn Heights. No one was going to argue with her. 

Of the rest of the little tiers, three quarters had families and lived in Brooklyn. Jenny agreed to lead the Brooklyn kids back home. They planned to spend a night or two in a mission on the Manhattan side of the river, then walk back in small groups after the bulls stopped looking for them so hard. 

The little ones without homes had all been adopted quickly, and most older girls were going home with friends who had families. Of the remaining forty or so with nowhere to go, they were given the names and locations of churches and missions throughout Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx that could give them a hand. Kats was even good enough to remember Medda'a as a possible work option, and a few girls showed some interest. 

They wanted to get moving before it got light out, but before they broke up Maggie stood on a box and made an announcement. 

"When you all get ta were yer goin, when ye get a chance, write us a little note, an give it to a newsie. Dose are da boys dats always sellin der papers and tellin gigantic lies. Der good people do, and if ye buy a paper I'm sure dey wouldn't mind takin da note back ta der Lodgin House. we're gonna go around den and collect em all, so we knows we ye are. We jest want ta make sure dat everyone came out all right." This was greeted with nods and smiles, then Maggie went on. "Also, 'ow many people 'ere were farced ta wark cause a missin papers?" About thirty or forty hands went up. Maggie nodded. "Ye come wit me." 

She hopped down off the box and led the way over to where Kats was sitting on the safe on the riverbank. Next to her stood a little boy, which Cora had a protective arm around. Maggie smiled at him. "Danny, if ye would do us de honor." 

Danny looked up at Cora, who nodded, and he knelt down and put his ear next to the safe. He turned the dial this way and that, and soon it opened with a little ping. The boy sat back on his heels, very pleased with himself, which earned him a hug from Cora. 

Maggie reached into the safe and pulled out a large stack of files. She read the name off of the top. "Virginia Dorset?" A small girl with lots of freckles piped up in a British accent. " Thots me!" 

"Well come 'ere girl! I believe dis belongs ta you. Ye put dat in a safe place all right? A bank or sometin where it won't get lost." The girl nodded, and Maggie proceeded to read off more names, returning to the immigrant girls the lives that Blackpool had bought from them. 

After the papers were returned and the safe thrown in the river, it came time for the girls to get moving. They promised to see each other soon, and all went their separate ways. Nelly led her little pack east into queens, and the rest of them all trooped across the river into Manhattan. From there Colleen headed east into the Bronx with her crew. Jenny and the Brooklyn girls that were going to hide out for a while, including Cora, split from them at East 40th and second avenue. They went all the way up 40th to 10th avenue to get near the mission in Hells' Kitchen where Maggie knew people. Maggie only had a few workers to see home, most of which lived around Tompkins square park, so they weren't too far from Duane Street. 

After they delivered the last girl into the arms of her family and watched the door close, Maggie, Gloria, Kats, and Lacey were alone on the street. They looked at each other, smiles slowly creeping around the corner of their faces. Then, as the first rays of dawn peaked over the horizon, they turned and ran for home as fast as their feet could carry them. -------------------------------------------- Not wanting to wake any one up, and sort of relishing the surprise, they boosted each other onto the fire escape, and slipped in through the window that Maggie always left open near her bed, and which hadn't been closed in her absence. All the girls were asleep, and soon Kloppman would come in, yelling at them to go out and sell the papes. 

They had originally planned to wake the girls up and greet them, but they each cast longing looks at their beds as they entered the room. 

Beds won out in the end, but neither Maggie or Lacey had the will to climb up to the top bunk. So Maggie hopped into Gloria's bed and Lacey squeezed into Kats'. They fell asleep in a heartbeat. 

Only to be awoken ten minutes later by Kloppman's wake up call. Reacting purely on instinct, Maggie uttered a curse and launched her pillow across the room, hitting Kloppman in the head, and collapsed back onto the bed. 

Kloppman hadn't been assaulted with a pillow since the girls went away, but before them this had been Maggie's ritual to starting the day. He merely chuckled and closed the door, then realized just what a pillow thrown at him meant, and jerked it open again. 

"Maggie? Is that you girl?" His shout rose the other girls who had ignored the wake up call, and soon the newly discovered interlopers were surrounded. 

Annie, who had always been a heavy sleeper, sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What is it- Maggie?" her voice went from a startled confused sleepy question to a high pitch, hysterical shriek. 

"MAGGIE! LACEY! GLORIA! KAAAAAATSY!" 

On the last word she launched herself off of Emma's top bunk where she had been sleeping, and landed in the middle of the bed where the girls had gathered. For the next ten minutes it was pure bedlam as the girls laughed and cried and Annie tried to kiss and hug everyone of them a the same time. Kloppman just stood in the door smiling. he was tapped on the shoulder by a drowsy Racetrack. 

"Hey Kloppman, can't you tell dose goils ta keep it down a bit? Some of us was tryin ta get a few extra winks down der." 

Maggie threw a sock at him. "Agh, shut yer 'ole Race." 

"Yeah good mornin ta you too Irish." he turned to go downstairs, then did a double take, "Irish?" But Maggie had turned back to Emma and Sammy who wanted every detail of their experience. 

Racetrack just stood there dumbfounded as Kloppman chuckled and walked back downstairs. 

"Race?" Jack, seeing him staring into the girls' room, called to him from the landing. "You just gonna stand der? Youse gonna be late and if ye don't close da door one of da goils is gonna slap ya. Race? Come on ye pervert lets go." 

Mush paused behind Jack, "What's wrong wid Race?" Jack shrugged , "Dont know, its like 'ese hip-na tized." 

Finally, Jack went up stairs to pull Racetrack away from the door, "Come on Race, lets-" 

"I'm tellin' ya, Jenny just started breakin windows an we were free." 

"I beg yer pardon? I believe I had a little ta do wit us gettin out! An jest who was it dat found da safe huh? Me dats who.." 

Jack heard Gloria and Maggie's voices floating out of the room, and he saw why Race was staring. He was frozen a minute himself before Mush came up behind him, jaw on eh floor. 

They were broken out of their daze by Lacey, "Well, are ya just gonna standa der like perverts or are ya gonna come say hello?" 

That broke the spell and it wasn't long till most of the newsies were in the room, picking up the girls and swinging them around. But it was when Jack picked up Maggie and she screamed in pain, that they realized not all had gone well at the mill. Sammy, whose father had been a doctor, took of Maggie's shirt and sucked in her breath at the sight if her back. Jack swore and his face grew dark and angry. Everyone was ordered out of the room as Sammy cleaned Maggie's back, although she told her they would have to call a doctor. All the boys could hear was Maggie's cursing, but she came out in a clean shirt, her back cleaned and her torso wrapped in fresh linen strips. 

Jack looked at her, his fists clenched. "I'm gonna-" 

Maggie cut him off. "Yer gonna do a whole lot a nothin, dats what yer gonna do." 

Jack looked confused, "Whoevah did dis desoives ta be-" 

"I already gave 'em what he deserved." 

"An how did ye do dat?" 

Maggie looked at Lacey who looked at Gloria, who looked at Katsy, who grinned devilishly. Maggie looked back up at Jack. "Well, who do ya think made sure dat der was plenty a flammable clothe near ta da blaze? Who fergot ta alert da fire department? Who got ta stand er an watch dat hell hole barn ta da ground, knowing no one would ever suffer der again?" She patted Jack on the shoulder. 'Don't worry yer little head Jack. We Irish always make sure we pay our debts. In one way or another." 

THE END 


End file.
